AND
by bararaika
Summary: Angels.Never.Die Guardian Angels are observers, only under certain conditions may they interfere in the real world. After an unfortunate event Sora becomes Riku's Guardian Angel. If that wasn't enough he begins to develop feelings for Riku.RikuSora
1. Life AND Death

**Disclaimer: If you don't know by now (or have been living under a rock) Kingdom hearts is owned by Square Enix and Disney and not me. Any Final Fantasy characters I used/borrowed for the purpose of this story aren't owned by me either- they too belong to Square Enix.**

A.N.D

Angels.Never.Die

Chapter 01: Life AND Death

In the rays of moonlight which entered the room through a small narrow window, Aeris made her way towards the bed her brother lay in.

"Sora, Sora" whispered the small girl softly as she shook her brother. She stood over him a few moments but her brother made not the slightest of movement.

"Sora", she repeated with more alarm in her voice.

"Hmmm…" -his half opened eyes made their way to the clock on the opposite wall-"it's only 2, go back to bed Aeris."

"Sora I'm scared", the 7 year-old pleaded, "there is someone downstairs."

Sora lay on his bed silently searching for any foreign noise coming from downstairs, he raised his head to hear better. He could make out faint footsteps and a pair of voices foreign to his ears.

"Okay I'll go check who it is" he groaned as he pulled the sheets aside. He took his sisters hand and led her to the closet, "you hide here, if I don't come back in five minutes call the police." He handed Aeris his cell phone and closed the closet door gently.

Grabbing a metal bat from his baseball bag he made his way slowly out of his room, his eyes tried to penetrate the darkness while his feet made sure to avoid any squeaky floorboards.

_I have to be brave, be brave, be brave! _Sora chanted in his head. It was his job to protect his little sister since his mom was at work at the hospital and came home around five in the morning. His father, if such a person could be called that, had left their lives before Aeris was out of the womb.

He slowly made his way down stairs - even though it was dark his feet knew the way. He could make out two dark figures in the living room; they were taking one of the paintings off the wall.

He moved cautiously towards the figures as they toiled over the painting. Then dodged behind the couch, they still hadn't noticed him. The intruders had managed to take the painting off the wall. Sora's head was occupied one single thought: _It's now or never!_

"THAT'S NOT YOURS!" he shouted as he swung the bat with all his might at the intruder closest to him.

The intruder's body became livid from the impact and lay as inert as a block of wood.

The other guy was also taken aback from the turn of events; he stood motionless like a statue before coming to his senses.

"Who are you?!" demanded Sora, his bat was held in front of him and his body was alert in case the intruder were to try anything he would be quick to respond with a strong swing.

The intruder cleared the perspiration from his brow, "Nobody worth mentioning", he took a step forward.

"I won't hesitate to defend myself" threatened Sora tightening his grip on the bat.

"You'll do what now?" replied the intruder in a mocking voice as he tightly gripped the other end of the bat with one hand.

Sora was forced to release the bat and now he stood defenseless in the darkness.

The intruder stuck a blow to Sora's stomach with a powerful punch.

His knees made a loud _thud_ as they made contact with the wooden floor, Sora's hands wrapped around his stomach which now felt like the pits of hell.

The stranger grabbed Sora's hair, "If I were you I would stay there unless you want to die." He turned to see if his companion would regain consciousness anytime soon.

The brunette couldn't help but groan in pain. By now Sora was sure five minutes had passed, his little sister should have called the cops. All he had to do was make sure the perpetrators stayed here to be arrested. As for the painting he didn't care much since it was one of his father's possessions, but it was his mom treasure.

He struggled to his feet, "I won't stay down" said Sora under his breath. Against his body's will he rushed towards the intruder and tackled him.

Both on the floor struggled to gain control. Sora punched with all the strength he had and tried to make as much damage as possible.

Suddenly there was a loud noise, the brunette's body was not prepared for the impact and was thrown against the wall.

He could feel the coldness of the wall as his back rested against it; there was a burning pain an inch or two below his collar bone. Tears clouded his sight and his voice was silenced by the pain he was now feeling. His hands grasped around the wound feeling the dampness and warmth. He tried to apply pressure trying in vain to stop the bleeding. Everything slowly grew darker, his body seemed heavier with every breath and there was nothing but silence. The world around him was vanishing.

The seconds passed, if not rapidly, at least not unendurably. Sora gave in and let his eyes rest. Before he lost all consciousness of the world around him, he felt his body being lifted by an unknown pair of arms.

_Am I being carried? _And if so_ who?_

He slowly opened his eyes to answer the mystery.

"I see you're coming to", the person carrying him let Sora gently off his arm. Sora now was face to face with a man a slightly taller than himself, his blond locks were arranged in a number of spikes. He had to be one of the most beautiful creatures that the brunette had laid his eyes on; however, this was not what caught his attention. This person had a beautiful pair of white wings that would fill any swan with envy.

"Hello I'm Cloud", he smiled in a friendly manner disclosing teeth as white as ivory.

Sora was mesmerized by the lovely pair of wings that he just nodded dumbly.

The blond let out a small sigh "do you want to touch them, they are real" he added noting that the boy's eyes were fixed on his wings.

"Oh", Sora cleared his throat and now all of the past events hit him. There was a small moment of silence, "am I really dead?" he said more to himself than to Cloud.

The angel cast his eyes heavenward, he answered in a low tone "yes, that is why I am here."

So here I am in a room that is thousands of miles from my home. This room isn't even mine; it belongs to some boy named Riku. But that is not the worst thing. My hands are shaking, my knees have buckled, and my face is burning red because here in front of me is this stranger, Riku, standing in front of me. His tone body is only covered by a black towel around his waists, and his damp hair falls gracefully on his shoulders. Any minute now this Riku will surely question me about who I am and how I got here. He will probably think I am some pervert. You may be wondering where Cloud is, so am I. That stupid bastard left me here.

I guess all I'm doing is confusing you; I should explain how I got here.

I met Cloud the day I died- he was the first angel I had ever seen, boy was I surprised to find out that there really is a God. But that is not the only thing that happened that day.

As soon as Cloud was done introduced himself he grabbed my hand we were in a place that I never thought I would see again. There amongst a large backyard stood an old willow tree that held within its branches a small tree house. On an adjacent branch there was a swing.

The silence was broken by his voice, "I thought it would help you feel more at ease if you were in a familiar place, does it?"

I sat on the swing and let my eyes wandered around my new surroundings; here was the tree me and my friend climbed everyday after school, the swing we all fought for. "Yeah it does" I replied softly, I wasn't sure if Cloud had heard. He leaned against the trunk of the tree and stared at the ground for a moment before he began: "The way someone dies determines what will become of them. In your case since you died protecting your little sister and the painting which your mom treasured you are now to become a Guardian Angel."

Part of me now understood why he brought me here, it was like anesthesia for what was about to come. "What if I don't want to be a Guardian Angel?"

Cloud's aura had changed "then I seal your soul" he answered coldly. His body moved away from the tree.

"So how do I become a Guardian Angel?" I smiled nervously as he stepped closer, who knew an angel could be so scary.

"That's why I am here, my duty is to instruct you" he made a small bow of politeness.

If it hadn't been for the fact that I had been holding onto the ropes of the swing I probably would have fallen, this guy was going to be my teacher. Had I really committed such a terrible sin in my life that this was my punishment?

Cloud took a step closer to his new pupil "let's begin shall we?" and without warning his hand tightly gripped mine.

To my surprise our surrounding changed. We were now in a small messy room; the walls were painted a dark red and adorned with posters of either bands or movies I had never heard of.

"Where are we?" Nothing seemed familiar.

"A Guardian Angel is usually assigned to a new born but since you are new you have been assigned to a teenage human being, I'll explain more as we go along."

"So who am I babysitting?" Just when I thought I was beginning to figure everything out Cloud always threw a curve ball.

"Oh I almost forgot" he said more to himself than to me. With strength I didn't know Cloud had he grabbed both of my wrists and swung me so we faced each other. Before my mind had anytime to register what had happened our lips locked.

Pulling slowly his lips away from mine he whispered: "Good luck" and vanished.

Before I had anytime to react to the sudden kiss the door swung open. Even though I had never met the boy who entered I recognized him, he was Riku. In fact I knew everything about him, his favorite food, his favorite pastime, his favorite everything!!!

What exactly is going on?! Did the kiss have to do something with this?

By the looks of it Riku had just finished his shower. His well toned body glistened with water droplets and was only covered by a towel wrapped around his waist.

My whole soul went on panic mode and my face burned red at the sight. My brain went through a hundred lies I could say for my sudden appearance. (They all sucked!) He would never believe any of them, I was doomed.

Riku looked around the room for a minute and then made his way towards through a pile of clothes that lay on the floor. He was looking through them for something descent to wear.

Any second now he will realize that I am here, I stood firmly against the bed post bracing for the moment he would acknowledge my presence. But the strangest thing was he never did. Riku let the towel drop and immediately I turned to face the wall as Riku began to change, my face was burning more intensely now.

"Sora, its okay he can't see you. You're basically a ghost" Clouds familiar voice reassured me.

"Cloud? Where are you?" even though I could hear him there was no one in the room. Wait! No one is here! "Riku!" I ran outside the door and could see him calmly walking down the hall. "So what do I do now Cloud?" I asked uncertain if there would be a reply.

"A Guardian Angel's duty is to protect the person whom they are assigned to. You may only intervene if the danger is life-threatening or if Riku says your name. Only then may you help him."

**You're down here might as well review.**

**(Sorry if there are any misspellings or grammatical errors-hopefully I didn't have too many of them)**


	2. Bitter AND Sweet

A.N.D

Angels.Never.Die

Chapter 02: Bitter AND Sweet

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts (or its characters) it belongs to Disney and Square Enix. As for any Final Fantasy characters that appear in the story –they're also part of Square Enix.**

"Hurry up or we're going to be late again" said Roxas as he stood waiting for Riku.

With a smirk on his lips Riku shot back to his best friend: "Didn't know you were eager to learn" his voice full of sarcasm.

"I'm sick and tired of getting detention because your dumb ass is too lazy to wake up." They were in detention so often they were basically on first-name bases with the detention teacher.

Sora floated aimlessly above Riku as he walked to school and talked about all the bands that were coming to town and which shows he wanted to see. He let out a loud sigh "why can't something interesting happen?" he complained as he poked Riku's head from above.

"I thought you'd be a little more enthusiastic about the job" Cloud exclaimed trying to sound hurt.

"I didn't know we were calling this a 'job', a job is something you can quit!" the young angel pouted.

Cloud let out a small chuckle, making the brunette raise an eyebrow. It was the kind of chuckle that says 'I know something you don't!'

"Your not paying much attention are you? Let me ask you this: where is Riku and his friend headed to?"

"To school" answered Sora proud of himself.

"Are you sure?"

Sora now took a better look at his surroundings; it was not the regular route that Riku took to get to school. This didn't even lead to the school! "They're going to that one music café, the, the…" Sora searched his brain for the answer.

"Vintage Smile Coffee House" responded Cloud.

"Yeah that's the name but why?" then he answered his own question "senior-ditch day!"

"I guess you're not as dumb as you look" teased Cloud before he vanished.

"Hey!" exclaimed Sora, he turned around and saw both of the teens enter a small building. Outside hung an old neon sign with the words "Vintage Smile Coffee House". Inside was quite a different atmosphere than from the empty morning streets outside. A large number of students roamed about the crowded café as they talked amongst each other eating pastries or sipping some of the famous coffee.

As soon as Riku and Roxas entered they were greeted by a number of people.

Suddenly, the microphone let out a loud screech and everyone turned to see the perpetrator. "Sorry about that" - a girl with long blond locks and spectacles said into the mic - "now that I have your attention we will commence senior ditch day. Here to play for us: 'Krimson King'!"

Everyone cheered as a group of their fellow seniors took over the small stage.

"Hey look it's your favorite person" Roxas said in a sarcastic manner that made Riku cringe.

On center stage stood a senior, he wore a midnight black trench coat and his hair was arranged in a number of red spikes. "Go Axel!" screamed a few girls not far from where Riku and Roxas stood.

From the day Riku and Axel met they hated each other; they became rivals in just about everything. They both tortured and humiliated each other every chance they got and on one occasion let their fists do the talking.

All the lights in the café dimmed and as if by magic everyone became mesmerized with the man who began singing as a rock melody started to play.

When the band finished the audience erupted into cheers. "Thanks everyone keep enjoying senior ditch day!" screamed Axel into the mic before he jumped off the stage spotting his prey he made his way towards were Riku and Roxas sat.

"Hey Riku" he greeted with icy politeness "so what you think of my band, pretty good huh?"

"You were off key more than once, your drummer messed up towards the end, and your bassist sucks but that's just my opinion since you cared so much you had to ask" replied Riku in a cold manner and took a sip of his newly acquired coffee.

Axel let out a laugh "that's the jealousy talking, I'll leave you and your boyfriend I have better things to do." A smirk appeared on his lips, he turned focusing his attention on a group of girls who were at the other table.

"Ignore the jerk" said Roxas noting that Riku was restraining himself from throwing the hot coffee cup he had at Axel.

Looking down at the cup he simply gulped down the hot drink in hopes it would subside his anger. Not even his friends words helped, it made his blood boil knowing Axel was in the same room as he "I'm have some stuff I need to take care of I'll see you later" said Riku getting up.

"I'll see you later then. Oh! Don't forget about the trip tomorrow!" waved Roxas, he knew better than anyone Riku just wanted to be alone and blow off some steam.

Riku put his headphones on and listen to whatever song his iPod decided to play. He walked for a while with no objective until he found himself in front of a large-grey house. There was no car in the driveway which implied that no one was home. A large grin appeared on his feature and a plan quickly developed in his head.

This is Axel's house, if he was not mistaken, and where was Axel? He would likely spend the rest of the afternoon at the café. There must be something in the house Riku could use against Axel.

Looking around he made his way towards the front door and knocked to make sure there was no one. If he got an answer he would simply reply that he was looking for an address, and if no one came to the door then he would pick the lock and gain entrance.

Taking in a deep breath he formed his hand into a fist and knocked three times, he counted the time by the beating of his heart. This would be the first time he broke an entry. No one came to the door, and he picked the lock with a small wire he had found. In a matter of seconds the door open, he closed the door behind him. Standing there for a while not knowing where Axel's room was he decided on a direction and thus began his adventures through enemy territory. He headed upstairs where he assumed the bedrooms to be.

His efforts paid off. Like an invitation, Axel had spray painted his door with his name and put up numerous stickers of his lame band 'Krimson King'.

Riku opened the door not sure what to expect. The door revealed a rather plain looking room. A large bed occupied the end of the room, a dresser next to it and a large book shelf that contained a TV, random books and magazines.

He began searching around the bed, and then moved onto the drawers. There was nothing here that would be worth taking. The only place that was left was the closet, which was opposite the bed. He slid the door opened, everything was neatly hung, on the floor there was only a single cardboard box. Kneeling next to the box he carefully opened it, _please let there be something worth while here_. As soon as he opened the box he couldn't hold it in and let out a laugh. It was an old worn out pink teddy bear with a large red bow. _I guess I can take this and ask for a ransom_.

Suddenly Riku's heart began to beat faster as his ears picked up noise coming from the living room. _Shit! I need to get out!_ He rushed to the window only to realize this would not provide an escape, the window posed two problems. The first: it had a screen which would take a while to remove and place back on as to not arouse suspicion. The second was that this was the second story, no tree or roof to allow for a means to get safely to the ground.

Footsteps approached and a muffled sound. _It's probably Axel, a place to hide a place to hide. _His whole body was on panic mode, what valid excuse could he give for being in Axel's room?He looked at the bed and then at the closet. Grabbing the pink bear tightly he shoved his body inside the closet and slid the door leaving a small crack for his to see through and get some air. He had made it just in time.

Axel and an unknown person knocked a few items clumsily as they made they're way through the room. Axel closed the curtain engulfing everything in darkness.

Riku could make out two figures as they slammed against the walls kissing wildly. His emerald eyes slow to adjust to the darkness. _It looks like a boy he's making out with_, Riku struggled and tried to get a better view of the boy as they fell on the bed. This had to be better than the pink teddy bear, Axel was gay. Riku smiled, he now knew something that would ruin Axel's reputation.

"Let's get under the covers its getting cold" said Axel's companion through moans.

Chills ran down Riku's spine. He could recognize that voice among a thousand, it was Roxas! His best-friend! _How _could Roxas be doing this to him, he knew how much Riku hated Axel

He know felt the bitter-sweetness of the situation, here he had uncovered what had to be Axel's biggest secret but it had become his secret as well since his best-friend was involved in the affair.

Riku tightly clasped his hands around his ears to drone out the moans of his best-friend as Axel caressed and kissed every part of his body. They luckily spare him all the details as they rolled under the covers. Riku sat on the closet floor, had he been standing his feet would have given in.

After what had seemed an eternity for Riku both of the boys had tired out and where lying on the bed. Roxas cuddled next to his lover's chest.

"I should get going" said Roxas sitting at the edge of the bed looking about the room for his clothes.

A pair of arms wrapped around him pulling him back "Why?" Axel planted a passionate kiss in order to convince his lover.

"School's going to get out soon and I don't want my mom to find out I ditched" he explained pulling himself out of the kiss.

"Just call her and tell her you're going to a friend's house"

"Hey where'd my shirt go?" cried Roxas as he frantically searched the room.

Axel let out a frustrated groan "just get one of mine, they're in the closet."

At the mention of the word closet Riku's heart skipped a beat. Sora who had also been present began to panic as well; he was Riku's guardian angel and couldn't bear to see Riku humiliated. "The only way I can help is if he is in mortal danger, which he isn't and second is if he calls my name" Sora let out a frustrated groan.

"SAY SORA, SOOORRAAA!" he screamed into Riku's ear as loud as he could. He knew that Riku was unable to hear him but there might be a slight chance that maybe this time he would. He desperately wanted to help Riku out of this situation; he would have given anything to spare Riku the embarrassment.

With every step Roxas made towards Riku's hiding place Sora's voice grew louder and louder "please just say it: SORA! SOOORRAA!!!"

Roxas was in front of the ivory sliding doors and tried to push them aside, Riku's hands automatically held the door in place.

"Hey! What's wrong with your closet door?" exclaimed Roxas as he pushed even harder to get it opened.

"It get's stuck all the time" replied Axel as slid on his shirt to cover his bare torso.

"It's either this or a ticket to hell" said Riku softly to his arm as a sort of encouragement, his words where heard by no one but himself and his guardian angel.

Sora let out a cheer "thi**S OR A **ticket…"Although it had been indirect, he still had uttered his name. Sora would have cheered and dance on the spot but he could not afford to loose time.

He quickly went downstairs and began to throw the plates out of the cabinets. They crashed loudly onto the floor. He turned on all the appliances that would help orchestrate his symphony- the blender, microwave, food dispenser. Next he turned on the television and the stereo to full volume. Anything to bring Axel and Roxas downstairs.

Upstairs, both Axel and Roxas exchanged worried looks at all the loud commotion that seemed to ensue from downstairs. Both teens rushed to see what the cause was.

Riku felt as if all blood had been drained out of him. His hands grasped the pink teddy bear and he left the closet as soon as both of the teens had left the room. He made his way down the small corridor that led to the stairs.

All the appliances that Sora had turned on where shut off. Axel and Roxas let out a small sigh-but this was not the end. Sora rushed upstairs to Axel's room and turned on Axel's television as loud as it would allow him to.

Riku dodged into another bedroom as the two teens rushed towards Axel's room to investigate. When the coast was clear he ran downstairs as fast as he could, his steps camouflaged under all the disturbances Sora had caused. Then a large bang was heard as Riku slipped out of the door. The shelf where the television sat had tilted causing the books to spill and the television set to break. No one was hurt; Roxas was convinced that Axel's house was haunted. Axel on the other hand argued it was a power surge of some sort that cause all the commotion.

As soon as he was out of the house Riku ran full force for about twenty blocks. He rested against one of the trees in the park, he furiously gasped for air and all his muscles felt like they were about to explode from having ran. He looked down at the pink teddy bear that stared back at him with buttoned eyes and cursed at it under his breath.

Sora was relieved that Riku was safe and had remained unseen. His happiness was interrupted- his back began to pulsate with pain sending streams of tears running down cheeks. Everything was released in the form of a large ivory set of wings, a smile set on his lips "I got my wings" he said with such happiness.

He kneeled next to Riku, it seemed so natural, wrapping his wings around the person he was bound to protect.

Riku immediately felt the effects, his breath was restored to a normal rate and the pain in his muscles vanished. He closed his eyes and let his whole body relax as he felt all the pain and worries leave him.

**Please read: **

**So I'm new to Fan fiction and haven't read too many stories (but I'm working on it) and if this story parallels any other story just tell me and I will definitely "spice" things up so you aren't reading the same story. Or if it begins to get boring just tell me. Thanks sooo…o much for reading.**

**P.S. Thanks for reviewing the story you don't know how happy that made me.**


	3. Fieldtrips AND Stalkers

A.N.D

Angels.Never.Die

Chapter 03: Fieldtrips AND Stalkers

**Disclaimer: I don't own kingdom hearts (or anything affiliated with KH)**

Night approached as the stars and moon position themselves on the heavens. Riku to tired to eat dragged his body up the stairs and fell onto his bed. In a matter of seconds Riku was in deep slumber.

Through all the day's unexpected events Sora expected to be tired and drained of energy as well but much to his surprise he wasn't.

"Guardian Angels don't sleep. We have no need for it." Cloud stood next to Sora watching the silver haired teen sleep.

"Where were you when I needed you?!" asked the brunette jumping a few feet from the shock of seeing once again.

"I feel that one learns better through experiences" replied the older angel making himself at home by sitting at the foot of Riku's bed. "So does the student have any questions?" he said with a smirk on his face.

"Hmmm…" Sora was sure he had some but none came to mind. With some hesitation he began "you said that the way we die determines what becomes of us in the next life."

"So you were paying attention" remarked the blond with a sly smile. "So then how did you die?" the brunette asked shyly.

The blond haired angel let out a small sigh that resembled a groan. "When I was in the womb my mother was given the option of either saving her life and aborting me or losing her life and giving birth to me. She chose herself." Cloud now laid down on the bed, "I don't blame her or hate her for it. After my heart stopped beating I asked to be her guardian angel so I may watch over her. She lived a hard life but I was always there. When she died I was able to see her and guide her soul to heaven to be reincarnated. Ever since then I have been guiding her soul."

Sora was pretty taken aback, the blond had disclosed all this information as if he were reading it from the newspaper, there was no emotion to it. Sora stood pensive for a while, "so am I your mother's soul?"

The aqua-eyed angel stopped himself from laughing at the question "no, don't worry about it Sora, is there anything else you want to ask?"

"Not really" he scratched the back of his head as if would uncover something.

"I'll let you have some peace and silence, you deserve it." Cloud gave a small wave goodbye and vanished leaving both of the teens under the moonlight.

The young angel sat on the headboard looking down at the sleeping boy, his chest slowly rising and falling with every breath, his face had not a trace of worry or stress - he was truly beautiful.

---

Morning came and Riku followed his regular routine of getting ready. He stuffed his backpack with a sandwich, a water bottle, and a piece of fruit. "I'll see you later mom" he shouted as he exited through the front door. And just like every other day Roxas was waiting for him leaning on the fence of his front yard.

"Hey are you ready for the fieldtrip?" asked his friend in a carefree way that he now detested.

"Yeah" replied the silver haired teen not looking at his friend, the whole way he walked in silence and avoided making eye contact with his friend.

In front of the school was a yellow bus, students which he recognized as his classmates were lined up. A tall, slender woman in a pink flowery dressed held a clipboard and was shouting instructions. "Riku! Roxas! You're the last ones, everyone on the bus!" she yelled as the two teens approached the bus.

As soon as everyone was on board the engine roared and they were on their way to the botany gardens. As their teacher had repeated a million times 'it was the largest in the west hemisphere and was only thirty minutes from the school.' It was the size of four football fields and had a vast collection of plants that ranged from trees to flowers.

When Riku first heard they were going to the gardens he was exited, it was one of the places his mom loved to take him to. However, now he was stuck sitting next to Roxas on the bus and he also had promised the blond that they'd be partners for the presentation they were going to give on the Evergreen Trees.

The whole way there his sea-green eyes focused on the world outside the bus, the careless drivers and the tall buildings.

The longer they sat in silence the more the blond worried about his friend. "So where'd you go yesterday?" asked the blond casually trying to break the spell of silence.

"I was at a friend's house and then I went to the park, what about you?" he shot glared at his so called friend.

"I was at the coffee house, you should have stayed they had other really good bands play, you would have liked them."

Trying not to sound like a cop interrogating a criminal, Riku asked: "Is that all?"

"Hey I think were almost there!" exclaimed the other, pointing at a sign on the freeway they had just passed.

"I guess so since were now getting out of the freeway" added the jade eyed teen with bitter sarcasm as he sank further into the uncomfortable seat.

The bus indeed exited the freeway and went down a few streets. It steered into a large parking lot and came to a slow halt. Everyone began talking even more loudly, happy that they would soon get outside and be able to freely roam about the Botany gardens. "Quite down every one!" yelled the teacher as she banged her clipboard against one of the seats. "Don't forget about your presentations; stick with your partners so you can both work on the research. Also remember to meet up at 3:00 at the entrance. If you're a minute late this bus _will_ leave you!" With that being said the bus doors opened and the students were released.

"Hey the Evergreen trees are this way" cried the blue eyed teen as he held a map tightly in his hand.

Sora was quite exited that he had a chance to visit these gardens, he had caught glimpses of the place from Riku's memories. As soon as he entered the gardens his body felt heavy, instead of floating and hovering about freely his feet were grounded. He began to walk a few paces behind Riku making sure to keep an eye out for anything that might constitute as "life threatening."

At the first chance Riku could, he left Roxas' side. Passing a small area of shrubs he found himself surrounded by delicate azure flowers. He remembered the many times his mother would sit next to him on the bench in front of the bluebells – they were her favorite.

"The bluebell is the sweetest flower. That waves in summer air…" said Sora absentmindedly.

"…Its blossoms have the mightiest power. To soothe my spirit's care," finished Riku, "My mother said that to me when she looked at the bluebells, she was quoting Emily Bronte." With a small smile pressed on his lips the silver hair teen turned his attention to the brunette that stood a few feet from where he was sitting.

Sora was taken aback by the response and for good reason. Had Cloud not told him that Riku could not hear him or see him? "C-can you see me?" his voice was shaking.

"I'm not blind; of course I can", he let out a small laugh, "I'm surprise though, usually its girls who follow me."

"I wasn't following you" replied Sora quickly.

"You're a stalker admit it," he teased.

"I'm not a stalker it's just that you looked familiar. I apologize for my mistake" he gave a small quick bow to show his sincerity and turned to leave.

"Wait" the jade eyed teen found himself saying. He couldn't explain it but he wanted the boy to stay with him. It just felt like it was right, to have him near. "I kind of got lost," he lied in hopes his new acquaintance would stay.

"You looked left" commented the chocolate haired teen, earning a confused look from the other. "It means you're lying. When a person looks left they are accessing the right part of the brain which is the creative side." This was something his mother had taught to him; therefore, catching young brunettes every lie.

The silver haired teen let out a small chuckle, "you're like a small Sherlock Holmes, how about this. If you can tell me three things about me I'll let you leave. If you can't do it then you stay by my side until 3:00."

Since Sora was his Guardian Angel he knew everything there was to know about the aqua eyed teen, he couldn't help but smile knowing he had the upper hand. "You have a deal." Both boys shook hands in agreement.

"You're a messy person, you smoke and are left-handed" the young boy stated proudly.

Shocked by the turn of events, Riku tried to appear calm and unfazed. "Anyone could have figured that one out, and all that proves is that you are a stalker."

"I'm not a stalker!" He let out a frustrated groan. "Your pant cuffs are wrinkled and worn, a neat person is observant of even such small detail. The nails on your middle and index finger on your left-hand have a slightly yellow hue from cigar smoke. Since it is on your left hand I assumed you to be left-handed" explained Sora recalling some stuff he saw on a detective show. Who says you can't learn anything from TV?

"I'm actually right-handed," he lied this time he made a mental note not to look left, "now you have to stay with me."

Sora could have easily refused, he knew was a lie, but part of him had wonder what if he had been part of Riku's world and not just an observer. This was probably the only chance he was going to be able to interact with the person he was supposed to watch over.

"Okay lets play another game, if you can't guess my name you have to be my slave for the rest of the day," proposed Riku gently tracing the side of the brunette's face, "here's a hint it starts with the letter 'R' you only have three guesses."

"Riku" said Sora.

"How'd you know?"

"Um…I think that boy over there is calling you" the cobalt eyed teen pointed to a blond boy making his way towards them.

Riku turned around, he immediately recognized who was calling his name. Roxas stood a couple feet from them. Grabbing the hand of his new acquaintance both boys began to run in the opposite direction. They passed roses, lilies, and daisies. They were now in an area surrounded by shrubs. Stepping off the cement path they climbing over a small fence.

"Get down" he pulled the young teen behind a shrub, not expecting to be pulled the brunette lunged forward falling on top of the snow-white haired boy. He made an attempt to get up but was held down in place by a pair of strong hands. "Shh..." Riku motioned for the brunette not move and be quiet as Roxas ran passed them.

With his back against the dirt the argent haired teen couldn't help but notice his new friend had a soft body. Although it was cold he simply wished to remain as they were and hold the other tightly as to give him some heat. Looking up he met a beautiful pair of cerulean eyes, they were captivating. It was as if they held some secret that compelled to be discovered.

"I think were safe now," interrupted auburn haired teen standing up and extended his hand to help the other boy.

"Thanks," he replied taking the boys hand. As soon as he was up he wiped off the dirt from his clothes.

"So you guessed right, I'm Riku what about you?"

Sora panicked, something inside him didn't feel right about giving his name. He looked around in a desperate attempt to change the subject. "Its 11:30, you have me for three and a half hours, were do you want to go to?"

"Just follow me I know a place where Roxas won't find us." Both boys stepped out from behind the shrub and looked around to make sure it was safe before stepping over the small fence.

Although Riku had just met Sora to him it was like if they met ages ago. He could freely talk about anything. After some time of walking they finally came to a stop, they were surrounded by tall sunflowers. Sora now understood why the blond teen wouldn't find them. The sunflowers were tall and thick enough to hide a car. Both boys sat on a block of cement that served as a bench. The more time they spend in each other's company the more they dreaded 3:00.

"Are you hungry?" asked Riku opening his backpack. "There's a sandwich, an apple, and a water bottle" he pulled each item out and placed them on the bench.

"I'm not really hungry" replied the other. He hasn't eaten since his death and strangely he hadn't thought about food. I guess it was like sleep, he didn't need it.

Riku took a bite from the apple, "we should hang out sometime, there's this band coming to town this weekend we could go if you want."

For obvious reasons the brunette had to decline, he himself wasn't sure if Riku would ever be able to see him again. Before Sora he a chance to reply he was interrupted, there in front of him stood Cloud. His presence there was not what shocked Sora but the fact that his wings were gone. Sora turned and noticed his wings were gone as well, since he had not been use to them he completely forgotten about them.

The tall blond seized his arm and began to walk. "Let him go" demanded the silver haired teen.

"Its okay," Sora gave him a reassuring smile, "don't worry".

"It'll only be a minute" said Cloud with such authority in his voice Riku remained seated.

They had only walked a short distance, away from Riku's eyes, before Cloud collapsed into a kneeling position tightly grasping his chest. "What's wrong" asked Sora trying to help him back up to his feet. His body was clearly in pain, "Sora you need to get out of here" he struggled to say, and without warning he vanished. Alarmed Sora stood up and looked around for the right path that would lead to the exit.

"Are you okay?" asked Riku, he had made his way out of the tall sunflowers.

"Where's the exit?"

"It's down that path to the right, why?"

"Thanks" replied Sora running in that direction.

Looking down at his watch he noted it was still an hour till three. Riku grabbed his backpack and began to chase after his new friend but as soon as he reached the exit he could no longer find him, it was as if he had vanished.

The copper haired angel turned to find the silver haired teen a few feet from him with a worried expression on his face. "Sora, he can't see you anymore." The young angel looked down hiding the sadden expression that had now overcome him.

"Does Riku know your name?" demanded the yellow haired angel with such urgency that it scared the other.

"N-no, why?"

Cloud was now holding the young angel's shoulders firmly and staring intently at him. "No matter what happens as long as you are his guardian angel Riku must never know your name or the fact that you are an angel. Do you understand?"

Sora nodded his head, "why is it that Riku could see me?"

This time the gold haired angel pulled the young brunette into a hug "Don't ever scare me like that again" he sighed.

-----

That night while Riku slept soundly in his bed, the blond angel made another appearance. Something about him was off but Sora couldn't quite put his finger on it. "I have an idea, Sora give me your left hand." Sora obliged and held his hand in front of him. The older angel placed a feather around Sora's ring finger, the feather immediately turned into a silver ring. "As long as you wear this Riku shouldn't be able to see you, even if you're inside the botany." Cloud appeared exhausted but maintained a warm smile; he had used most of his energy in the botany and in forging the feather ring. "Take this," Cloud plucked a feather from his wing and handed it to Sora. "If you need anything just kiss the feather and I'll come to you."

Sora stood there admiring the ivory feather and then placed it in his pocket for safety. "But why are you giving this to me?"

And that's when Cloud announced he was going to stop visiting for a short time. He leaned in closer and planted a small kiss on the young angel's forehead. "Try not to miss me to much," he teased before vanishing.

**sorry the chapters haven't been very long. Like any other person who writes on here any comments, suggestions or even complains you have I would love to hear them. Thank you SO much for reading this story hopefully you weren't disappointed :) Oh and if some of the stuff confused you I'm sooo sorry, I had a hard time putting into words what I wanted to say.LOL.**


	4. Friends AND Foes

A.N.D

Angels.Never.Die

Chapter 04: Friends AND Foes

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Heart or anything else associated with them.**

The day dragged on by, Riku had attended all of his classes. He found this was the only way he could distract his mind from the boy he met at the botany. No one had ever left such an impression, he found himself thinking about those cerulean eyes constantly.

Making his way down a busy hallway towards his locker. Everyone was gathering their things from their lockers and heading home. School was finally over.

"Riku!" yelled Roxas getting the boys attention. "When do you want to work on the poster for our presentation? Do you have time after school?"

"You have all the research don't you?" replied the emerald-eyed teen indifferently.

"Yeah, I could bring it over to your place and we could work on it there. Does five sound alright?" his friend suggested.

"Sure," Riku closed his locker and swung his backpack over his shoulder.

"Riku catch!" Axel threw a football in hopes of hitting the teen's face.

Tilting his head slightly to the left Riku dodged the ball. It bounced loudly off the wall and startled those few students that still lingered in the halls.

"I don't want to waste my time on you" Riku told red haired devil giving him a cold glare before turning around.

"Listen" began the tall senior as he strongly gripped the silver-haired teen's shoulders and slamming him against the lockers.

Without a second thought a fist formed and the jade-eyed teen dealt a heavy blow to the other's stomach, "don't ever touch me again!"

Not having expected such a reaction the other bent his hands over his stomach, he was about to strike back when Roxas stepped in. "Don't" he pleaded.

"Move Roxas" warned the crimson-haired teen.

"It's okay Roxas. He's not going to do anything; do the words 'pink teddy bear' ring any bells?" added the argent-haired teen.

Axel froze wide-eyed he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Had Riku looked at Roxas he would have also seen the shocked expression the blond wore on his face.

---

_The young blond sat in the waiting room holding the pink teddy bear in his lap as he stared down at his swinging feet. He had lost track of time, the days seemed to drag on forever and most of his time he spend in the hospital's waiting room with him parents. His mom cried everyday and his dad soon stopped visiting since he began to take extra shifts to help cover the hospital bills. Everyday he hoped the doctors would bring good news about his little sister's condition. 'Maybe today they'll let me see her' he thought 'maybe today she'll be better.'_

'_Mrs. Mori' said a caring voice 'can we speak in private?' he motioned her to his office down the hall. _

'_Roxas, mommy's going to go with the doctor stay here and be a good boy' she gave him a faint smile and caressed his face before leaving him. Roxas had not taken his eyes off his mom and when she turned around the corner he jumped off the uncomfortable waiting room chair and followed. 'What do you think they're up to teddy?' he held the stuffed animal in front of him. His mother entered the doctor's office. The blond stood outside the door, he wanted to hear the good news with his own ears._

'_Please take a seat' he heard the doctor say 'I'm afraid that her condition is worsening.' He could picture the doctor holding the clipboard in front of him and looking over all the test results. 'You're a doctor aren't you? Do SOMETHING! Or are you just going to let her die?!" his mom broke into sobs._

'_I am very sorry, me and my staff are doing everything we can but I'm afraid there is nothing we can do now. Unfortunately the only thing keeping your daughter alive now are the machi—'_

'_STOP! Stop it! I don't want my daughter to suffer anymore, please just—' the door had swung open and Roxas stood there with the teddy bear in his hand. "Roxas" she exclaimed. The young boy ran down the corridor tears streaming down his cheeks 'no it's not true, they said she was getting better, they said she'd wake up, they promised!' He entered a small room that was brightly lite and adorned with roses. There on the bed lay a small child with tubes and wires entering and exiting her body. 'Come on wake up!' yelled the small blond as he shook his little sister hoping she would open her eyes. 'You promised if I brought you a gift you would play with me' he showed her the teddy bear 'do you like it? I chose it myself. It's even pink, your favorite color.' He gave her a faint smile._

_His mom and the doctor entered and all the machines began to emit a steady flat pitch instead of the regular iambic sound. 'Mom what wrong with her?" asked Roxas as both the doctor and his mom rushed towards the bed. In a matter of seconds a group of nurses crowded the room. 'Get the kid out of here' yelled one of them. 'Roxas come one let's go to the waiting room' said his mom grabbing his hand. 'No I want to stay here' he cried holding onto the sheets demonstrating his tenacity. 'You can't be here little kid' warned one of the nurses grabbing him firmly by the stomach, 'I don't want to leave!' he kicked and screamed. 'Let me go! I don't want to leave her side!' He grabbed onto his sister's hand 'I want to stay, I need her!' In the end it they had to sedate him to get him out of the room._

_When he woke up the pink teddy bear was in his arms. 'Hadn't I left in on her bed?' he thought as he looked at the stuffed animal with curiosity. His eyes then traveled around the hospital room. His mom was sitting next to his bed. Her head rested beside his hand, and her puffy red eyes were now closed. 'Mom' he whispered softly caressing her hair. She let out a small sigh and slowly opened her eyes. 'Roxas?' she manage to say before her voice broke and the tears clouded her eyes, she hugged the small boy tightly, 'your sister…' she began 'your sister didn't make it' and this time Roxas began to cry. The only thing the 6 year old had to remember her by was that stuffed animal. _

_He had never shown it to anyone until the day that he heard Axel's parents got into a car accident. Axel refused to eat and slept in the hospital waiting for his parents to recover. 'They'll get better' Roxas assured Axel handing him the teddy bear. Upon seeing the pink teddy bear and its magnificent red bow Axel let out a big laugh 'this has got to be one of the most hideous things in the world!' he exclaimed. 'I figured since it couldn't help my sister maybe it would help you, but if you don't want it then just give it back' the blond tried to snatch the pink teddy bear back. 'No! You gave it to me. You can't take back a gift!' Axel held the bear above him as Roxas fought to get it back._

_---_

Axel got on his knees and with such pain in his voice he uttered: "you win."

"What?" the silver-haired teen couldn't believe what he had heard. Here was the person he detested the most, kneeling in front of him and admitting defeat. Why did he feel lousy about the whole ordeal?

"I said you win, just hand over the stuffed animal" his words filled with melancholy.

"Just call it a truce and give him the stuffed animal back" Roxas suggested - seeing his lover suffer like this was too much.

"I already told you I don't want to waste my time on you." Riku turned around and headed home. The blond followed, "I think you crossed the line this time."

"I don't have the bear, I left the bear in the park," he lied, "I bet some dumb kid took it by now. Hey I'll see you at five, my place right?"

Roxas suddenly looked up, "oh, yeah five."

Sora felt sorry for both Axel and Roxas, he knew the bear was under Riku's bed. He was regretting having helped steal the pink teddy bear.

Heading straight to his room the aqua-eyed teen pulled out the stuffed animal. "Why are they making such a big deal about this" he laid on his bed examining the bear. However, his thoughts were interrupted, the phone ring loudly throughout the house. "Hello" he answered.

"Hey Riku I just forgot I have something else to do. Don't worry about the poster I'll have it done by tomorrow" said the voice on the other line before hanging up.

"Suit yourself" Riku muttered as he put the phone back on the receiver.

Meanwhile Roxas made his way towards all the parks he knew his friend was like to have visited. He desperately searched for the pink teddy bear. He asked all the little kids if they had seen it, after a while some kids would just run at the sight of his unruly hair and grass stained clothes thinking he was some evil kidnapper. Despite all this he hadn't gotten a clue to where his friend might have left the teddy bear, to make matters worse the sky grew dark making it hard to see. Giving up he headed home. Tonight there would be no sleep for him since having blown off his friend he would now have to undertake the task of finishing the stupid presentation. When dawn came he had finished pasting a few pictures on the poster board. "I officially declare this done" he mumbled and headed down the hall to take a well deserved shower.

Throwing on some clean clothes and placing the poster board securely under his arm he headed outside. This time Riku was waiting for him, "what happened to you?" remarked the silver haired teen noticing the tangled hair and dark circles underneath his eyes.

"Shut up!" he glared at his friend.

"Here" said Riku shoving a brown paper bag at his friend.

"What's this?" the blond opened the bag; the pink bear was sitting safely inside. "I thought you left it at a park?" He looked up in amazement.

"I lied. I thought about it, we'll call it truce."

"Why are you giving it to me though?" asked Roxas confused at the sudden change in attitude.

"I'm not in the mood to see his face today" added Riku as both boys headed towards school.

**Hey there hope you liked the chapter. Like always your thoughts are much welcomed, plus they make me happy!**


	5. Angels AND Love

A.N.D

Angels.Never.Die

Chapter 05: Angels AND Love

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or anything associated with them.**

So let me seriously ask you something 'Do you believe in Guardian Angels?' My guess is that your answer is probably: NO. And who can blame you? About a week ago I probably would have been right up there with you. I mean Guardian Angels? The thought is almost laughable. But everything changed after my death and actually becoming one. Now it's hard to deny that they actually exist.

You may be wondering 'So what are Guardian Angels?' In a nutshell they are basically a class of angels assigned to a human being (in my case Riku) and are meant to watch over them. We can only act/intervene if there is life-threatening danger or if the person says your name. That last one is really a pain in the neck, I mean how the heck is Riku going to say my name if he doesn't even know it?

Anyways, not much has happened in the last few days. Let me say this, when I was actually in the living world I hated sitting in class – now imagine being a Guardian Angel sitting in on Riku's classes. After school Riku goes to the Botany Garden, he sits staring at the bluebell where we first met. My heart aches to see him sitting there all lonely; I look at that silver ring on my hand and see it as a curse. I wish I could just rip it off and tell Riku I'm here, and then the consequences creep in. If I see him again Cloud would definitely know and then Riku would probably get another Guardian Angel. I would never be able to see him again.

I think this was definitely punishment from the old man upstairs. I let out a loud sigh just thinking about it which to my surprise didn't go unheard.

Riku took his gaze of the bluebells and turned to face me, "It's you" he said a small smile forming on his lips.

I looked behind me thinking he was talking to someone else, there was no one there. Just me and him. Could this mean he could see me again? But the ring, I looked down and to my amazement it wasn't on my finger. I must have dropped it somewhere. I was definitely going to get a big lecture for having lost the ring.

"Yeah it's me" I let out a small nervous laugh taking a step back. Maybe Cloud wouldn't find out, after all I hadn't seen him in quite a while.

"I see your still following me, and you said you weren't a stalker" he said with a large grin on his face.

"You seem sad about something, are you okay?" I added trying to change the topic.

"Oh, I was actually hoping I would run into you. You seemed pretty worried the other day."

"My sister works here, when I heard she got hurt I rushed to help her. She's fine now, I've been helping her around the botany gardens" I lied. Yeah I know I shouldn't lie being an angel and all but what was I to do? Beside as long as he didn't ask to meet my so called sister everything should be fine. Right?

"Oh," he looked down as if he was slowly thinking about everything I had just said, "you never game me your name" he added.

All I could do was stand there and smile dumbly while I tried to figure out what to do. "Let's look at the orchids" I grabbed his arm pulling him onto his feet and towards the direction of the orchid exhibit. He must have been startled at my sudden actions, after a while he simply walked beside me and there was no need to pull him. "Look there's a day lily, oh that's a hyacinth" I commented as we passed the flowers.

"How do you know all this?" he asked in amazement.

I had unconsciously named every flower that we had passed. I could feel my cheeks flush red from the intense embarrassment I now felt, I mean girls are usually the ones that are into flowers. It must have seemed weird that a guy knows all this stuff. "Sorry, I'll stop."

"You don't have to apologize" he replied with an approving smile.

"My mom works at a hospital, the patients would always leave the bouquets. She didn't have the heart to throw the flowers so she brought them home with her. She even had a garden where she planted a few of her favorite flowers," I explained.

"So why do you want to see the orchids?"

"They are my favorite, I haven't had a chance to see them yet" I smiled just thinking about them. Then the weirdest think happen, although he would probably deny it but I think Riku blushed. His cheeks turned a slight pinkish color; of course he quickly turned with the excuse of looking at the tulips.

We finally arrived at our destination and were surrounded by all sorts of orchids, they were all so amazing. Of course my favorite, the fragile purple petals of the Arethusa stood out among the rest.

-----

In Cloud's absence the boys continued to meet. Riku would always enter the building and roam about in search for his angel, when he least expected he would hear gentle footsteps behind him. Turning around he would be greeted by a pair of cobalt eyes.

Under the cover of the thick sunflowers, Riku's placed a passionate kiss on the other's lips. A small moan escaped the brunette that seemed to fuel the silver-hair teen's hormones.

Lying down on the bench, the blue-eyed brunette was pinned with his back against the bench. He could feel a set of warm hand caressing his chest.

"Ri-_ku_" he managed to say as the other's soft lips made their way down his neck. Unwillingly he pulled his lover out of the embrace. Although he desperately wanted for him to continue, it wasn't right. After all he was a guardian angel, and Riku was a human.

"What's wrong?" he asked sounding more concerned than annoyed.

Sora gave an empty smile, "why don't we just go look at the trees today."

"I have a better idea" exclaimed the older boy grasping the brunette's hand and pulling him towards the exit. "There's this really cool café that opened down the street…" he began, his voice was full of excitement.

"I…I don't want to go" Sora pleaded, if he exited the building Riku wouldn't be able to see him and would undoubtedly ask questions. Maybe Riku would stop visit him, or worse he would never be able to see Riku.

He let Sora's hand fall upon hearing the request. "Why is it that you never want to leave this place, that I only see you here?" he demanded.

The brunette hugged the boy affectionately, "please let's stay."

The older teen placed his hand over the messy brown spikes, "why is it that you never want to leave?" he repeated, "Why is it that I don't know even your name, and yet you seem to know everything about me, why?"

They stayed like this for a while longer, "I promise my dad I'd help him fix the garage door, I'll see you tomorrow" he placed a soft kiss on Sora's cheek and stood to leave.

"You looked left" mumbled the brunette as the other walked away. He stayed on the bench for a few moments before leaving the Botany Gardens.

**Sorry to have ended it on such a bad note. Feel free to write me your thoughts on the story/chapter since I do plan on ending it next chapter.**


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